Smartphones, cash seized from American Centre attack mastermind’s cell

Three mobile phones, Wi-Fi equipment, and ₹31,000 in cash were seized from the cell of Aftab Ahmed Ansari, the mastermind of the 2002 American Centre attack in Kolkata, who is serving a life term at the Presidency Correctional Home, officials said on Saturday (August 29, 2026).

Senior officials from the West Bengal correctional services said the items were seized during a surprise search operation at the Presidency jail on August 23, following intelligence inputs that Ansari was allegedly using a mobile phone and had internet access.

“Three smartphones including an iPhone, three SIM cards, two routers, a Wi-Fi hotspot device, a pen drive, an OTG adapter, and wireless earbuds are among the electronic communication devices seized by our staff,” a senior officer said, adding that an investigation is underway to probe the potential involvement of jail staff.

The jail authority has lodged a case against Ansari at the Hastings police station. Investigators are also attempting to ascertain whether phone calls were made to Ansari’s contacts outside the country.

Ansari was a key member of the Dubai-based Asif Reza Commando Force, a wing of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islami. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for the January 22, 2002, attack outside the American Centre in Kolkata, where two motorcycle-borne gunmen used AK-47 rifles to kill five police personnel and injure 20 others.

Saturday’s development follows the suspension of the superintendent of the Presidency jail, M. Kajur, and the chief controller, Dipta Gharai, by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on May 15. The suspensions occurred after a police search recovered 23 mobile phones and over 30 SIM cards allegedly used illegally by inmates.